by Stacey “ Snoopy ” Conly
A little over two months after John Frank Lewis ’ Last Ride , his tombstone was ready to be set . When Freddie Grappe told me they were all getting together at 9:30 in the morning to set the stone , I was hoping it was an invite ; sure enough it was an invite ! When I arrived at St John the Baptist Church , it was only 9:10am and there were already 6 or 7 of the Gray Ghosts there , of course Freddie was one . Let me stop right here and tell you real quick , I just love these guys ! They will make you feel loved when nobody even likes you . I am truly honored to be friends with such a great group of guys as these Ghosts . When I parked , they came over to greet me then shortly after the truck from the Sabine Monument Company in Many arrived .
While we waited for John ’ s wife , Tracy ; son , Nick ; and the 2 beautiful grandbabies to arrive at 9:30 I walked down to set up my cameras . I watched from a distance as more Ghosts arrived and then the family ; I watched the love between them all , the love I had been greeted with . As I watched , I thought how proud John would be to see this . I imagine John was looking down and smiling big on what was taking place in honor of him .
There were ten Ghosts there with Tracy , Nick , and the babies . Three of the Ghosts left their jobs long enough to be a part of this moment ; Gray Ghost X-Ray and Gray Ghost TC drove down from Shreveport with the family .
Watching this family walk down with the beautifully etched stone was touching to me ; it showed the respect and love these Ghosts have for John and his family . Once at the bottom of the hill , we watched the man from Sabine Monument Company carefully measuring and setting the stone in place . After the stone was set , Gray Ghost Tom spoke then said a prayer . After walking back up the hill and visiting a bit , the three who had to
go back to work did so , then the rest of us continued our visit at “ The Office .”
I truly believe John would have been proud of the gathering in his honor . Let me say once again , I am so very blessed to be a friend to such a wonderful group of guys . Thank y ’ all for allowing me to be a part of this reverent time !
If you ever want to go visit John at his final resting place , go to St John the Baptist Church right where Hwy 6 and San Antonio meet in Many , Louisiana . Walk down the sidewalk to the cemetery . When the sidewalk ends at the bottom of the hill , walk a little bit further and right to your left you will find a beautifully etched tombstone where John lies ; you might even find a Ghost there .
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